The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-31
A GREAT SCHEME.

How Democratic Federal Officers Can Pay
Campaign Contributions
Washington Special.
The clerks in the departments cannot be as
sessed for campaign expenses, but they caE be
given a hint and directed where their voluntary
contributions will do the most good. In order
20 lot them know that q record will be kept and
that their zeal shall not pass unrewarded. the
Washington Post has announced editorially
that it will forward all sums of money deposited
at it's counter to the Democratic managers in
Now York for use in that State. With the con-
tributions Of the President and Colonel Lamont
paraded before them. the old-tme political
for the clerks. The Post takes great credit to
itself for originating the scheme IL says:
1t is the first time that the department. clerk
has seen clearly ready way in which he could
chip in his dollar, five ten dollars, with the
certainty that it would promptly be put where
1t would do the most good and that the civil
service bugbear would be entirely avoided. OF
course. il there were any employees in the de-
partment who desired to send $500 or 81, 900
checks to the campaign fund. they generally
know how to transmit it without any violation
of law. But for the smaller contributions that
hardly worth sending separately TO New
York, some agency of collection required
in Washington. The clerk in the department.
could not hand his subscription to the chief of
his division of the bureau, for by the eleventh
section of the cvl-service act, every federal
employe is forbidden 90 solicit
csive from any other federal employe any SUBJ
scription for any political purpose whatever.
1.-THE State associations in this city are SINH
larly prohibited from receiving subscriptions
from federal employees, for, according to Com
mssoners Oberly and Lyman. every member of
any of these associations is personally liable for
every act of any other member or any agent of
the association; that il the association ap-
pointed a treasurer who never held an office of
any kind In his life, nevertheless every federal
employe in the association would be liable for
the actions Of the treasurer These views have
hitherto been enunciated by Commissioners
Oberly and Lyman"
J. H. Walsh, superintendent of the Treasury
building, and the president of the New York
State Democratic Association, says: There is
nothing in the civil-service act that prevents a
federal office-holder from subscribing to q cam
paign If he chooses. He can't hand it over to
another federal officeholder; that's the only re-
striction. But the Post is an officehoider,
and there is nothing in the civil act
which forbids any OF us from handing our sub
scriptions to the Post TO be properly applied.
The proposition is good one. It will be a great
convenience to those who desire to chip in small
sums"
To days Post publishes the following; There
is $40 for the New York campaign" said Gen.
A. B. Upshaw, Assistant Commissioner OF In
dian Affairs, TO Post reporter yesterday, as he
took a new, crisp note from his pocket. And
over the rotund face of Civi-service Commits
sioner Oberly In whose presence this transac-
ton took place, there spread happy, Goddess
Won sort of a smile.